So I need a dog..

[pure_ego]

ok.. for the guys that have a hard time reading a whole post..

I don't want a big tough lookin' dog that makes me look mean to haul around in the truck bed scarin' people.

My 2 y.o. daughter absoloutly adores all types of pets, and she plays with them very well.. no pullin/hitting any of that junk.. so me and the wifey decided she was old enough to have a pet.

We've wanted a dog for awhile, but wanted to wait till she was old enough to play with it while it was a puppy (and not maul the poor little thing)

I'm looking for something that can mostly live inside.. I have a decent yard, but it's not fenced, and I have no plans to fence it. We live in a suburb off the "main" drag.. so traffic isn't terrible.. but there is traffic... Maybe I'll add a fence later,, but I dont' really want too.. I've worked hard to make my yard basically "weed-eater-lessly maintained" and I'm not gonna screw it up with a fence.

I had a collie when I was young.. pretty good dog, but a little bigger than what we were thinking. My mom/dad have had Labs for alooooong time. I really like those dogs.. somewhat protective,, but they aren't going to hurt anybody unless there is a damn good reason. I absoloutly don't want a dog thats going to freak out if the neighbors kid starts fighting over a basketball with my kid and take a chunk out of it. I really don't even want it barking at the kid to be honest.

whatya thinkin?

and no yappie, fuzzy, stupid looking dogs either.

maybe a midget black lab or something.. haha.

 

[hemroid]

sounds like another good yard is going to be full of land mines
good luck!

 

[pure_ego]

hehe.. yeah.. i'm also shopping for pooper scoopers.. any recommendations?

 

[cache]

there is a dogg in this photo......

don't ask how I did it. it was my kid's last school play, and..

 

[pure_ego]

your camera was acid tripping..

haha get it into rehab stat!

 

[hemroid]

yeah here in cols ohio we have a service called pet butler and they come twice a week for 10.00 a dog . my wife and i dont have dogs neighbor does that is how i know about pet butler anyway she is a bird lover and has 2 big parrots just like having 2 three year olds in the house but anyway good luck

 

[pure_ego]

my camera is clean, and sober.

 

[RandomNickname]

Bull Terrier (NOT a pit bull terrier). There's a smaller one referred to as a Miniature, though they're still about 40 pounds or so... all muscle... body size is compact, about the size of a sheltie, is not a little smaller.

Very fun, very clownish. Great dogs. Love em.

 

[RandomNickname]

Some great background info on the breed, here.

 

[nitrousjunkie]

Golden Retriever.::

 

[hemroid]

its a spuds mckenzie dog!!!!

 

[pure_ego]

Nice link Random..

That sounds sorta like what I'm looking for... and for goodness sakes... thats a SPUDS dog.. haha whats not cool about that.

I wonder what goes on with the dogs personality if it gets used to having a child around everyday.. then the child starts school..

My wife would still be at home.. so it wouldn't be alone.. but kiddo would be at school in a few years.

 

[hemroid]

it followed her to school one day to school one day oh hell nevermind that was a lamb

 

[RandomNickname]

Nice link Random..

That sounds sorta like what I'm looking for... and for goodness sakes... thats a SPUDS dog.. haha whats not cool about that.

I wonder what goes on with the dogs personality if it gets used to having a child around everyday.. then the child starts school..

My wife would still be at home.. so it wouldn't be alone.. but kiddo would be at school in a few years.

The friends of mine who have one swear by the pup they have.

Well, he's now about four I guess. By the way standards get 40-55 lbs. Minis get 25-35 lbs. Just wanted to make sure I had the sizes clear since I didn't really specify it before.

When they first got the dog, he went everywhere with the wife, even to work for quite a few months. After work nixed that, he was put in a doggie day care during the day, and as far as I know, they never notcied a change from the separation.

As far as I can tell, theey adopt an entire family as their main pack, rather than latching onto an individual in the home. I figure with the kiddo going off to school after a while, the biggest thing you and your wife would have to worry about is, since they are so clownish and playful, the dog would get to be kinda rambunctuous and want to play a lot (they literally will play until they drop, if allowed to).

He's awesome and playful, good with kids (even unknown ones), and even cuddles up to and adores their cat (though the cat's not crazy about him). And yet, he is VERY quick to be a bit defensive when someone who seems "off" comes by.



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[pure_ego]

you mean defensive like barking .. or defensive like one more step and your losin' a body part?

I wonder about those mini-breeds.. Seems like there has to be something weird going on in the genes to make them under sized.

 

[RandomNickname]

Neither. Just stands its ground... he basically lets you know he doesn't feel like things feel right. As far as general guard dogging stuff, they'll bark to alert people and such, but I'v enever heard of one going super-aggressive to where no one felt safe around one.

 

[pure_ego]

yep.. that sounds like the kinda attitude i'm lookin for.. kinda like..

"well, you seem like an ass... but I'll give ya a few more minutes to get some act right before I get medieval on ya."

I'll get the wifey to check out the link you sent me and maybe do some more diggin'

 

[LadyHawk]

Go to www.dogbreedinfo.com.. there is a tool there that lets you input your criteria, and gives you different breeds that fit.

Then go to the local animal shelters.. you'd be amazed at how many purebred dogs there are... and puppies too.

Happy searching!

 

[04busaVA]

bro... get you a gentle giant..... a saint for instance

I got one when my son was 2 1/2, or there about, and they are like best pals.. She is well mannered and will take anything my son does.... she is not aggressive however if there are strangers around she'll let ya know... the down side is she eats like crazy and the clean up is a biotch, oh and they don't always salivate all over the place.

 

[Mr Brown]

Having a Staffordshire Bull Terrier (often referred to as a pit bull by the ignorant) makes me a little biased. Any of the terrier breeds, including the Spuds/Target breed Random suggested, make excellent, loyal pets. Stay away from the toy breeds, they often have poor tempraments and like to behave aggrressively. The pound is also a great place to adopt a puppy from.......